We wait till after all the leaves fall off a tree, then we rake em up and place them on the beds. I really dislike raking the same area several times. Fortunately different trees drop leaves at various times. We don't get snow cover here, and some years, the raking of some leaves gets postponed to late winter. Some beds get pine needles, and as many wood chips we can find for free.
No, my gardens do not have a uniform look.
I spread leaf mulch over beds. Often it goes and flies away so maybe I need something to weigh it down?
Do you have pine needles in your neighborhood? I have found that a light sprinkle will hold leaves in place.
